Agriculture Society believes in a sustainable and environmentally safe world where our living habits work in accordance with nature through the promotion of ecologically sound choices and actions. Our intent is to bring useful and timely information to the local and wider communities about health, nutrition, medicine and available alternatives.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Allergies and Disinfection

Are we causing allergies and illness by our habits of over-disinfection? Research shows that through repeated exposure to disinfectant solutions and anti-bacterial substances that are designed to "kill germs", we are contributing to both allergenic responses in the body and resistance to deadly bacteria.

Our immune system is designed to allow the human body to co-exist with the outside environment. Our bodies contain trillions and trillions of cells, many of which are foreign and remain without problem because of our immune system's function. When the immune system becomes ovewhelmed with an abundance of foreign bacteria, however, and friendly bacteria are not allowed to thrive or are killed by anti-bacterial substances, the result is disease and illness - and allergies. Chronic health issues such as asthma, allergies, eczema, and many auto-immune disorders like multiple-sclerosis, lupus, and fibromyalgia are becoming more and more common and have risen exponentially over the last several decades. Children are especially vulnerable and have shown the highest increase in these incidences as they have quadrupled over the last two decades.

What factors contribute to a failing immune system?

As well as because of the over-use of antibiotics, use of anti-bacterial gels, hand lotions, soaps, and other personal care products increase the chance of the body being unable to defend itself from powerful bacteria that can get into the body and cause illness and death. Children who are exposed to bacteria are believed to have stronger immune system response and therefore stand a much better chance of naturally being able to fight off infection than those who have less exposure and would have lower immune system function. When your child becomes sick with a cold or flu, use of these substances does not necessarily allow quicker recovery from illness - and in fact can allow the illness to go on longer or return. In 2000, a study conducted observed 61 infants between 9 and 24 months of age revealed that the more dust the child was exposed to, the less likely an allergic response was to appear. The American Medical Association reported on their web site, "There is no evidence that the use of antibacterial products prevents infection better than ordinary soap. Hand washing with ordinary soap and water is sufficient to reduce the risk of most common infections."

Other reasons related to these issues also stem from the fact that so much processed, packaged foods are readily available and are consumed, versus real whole foods which support the immune system and health in general. Processed foods do not contain nutrients and antioxidants necessary for life, so when these types of eating habits are coupled with continued use of dangerous disinfectant and anti-bacterial chemicals, the stage is set for disaster in health. Many processed foods are available, and in particular, marketed to children and families. Consumption of these foods contributes to an increase of Omega 6 fatty acids and a decrease in Omega 3 fatty acids. Too much Omega 6s actually suppress immune system function while Omega 3s build up immunity and reduce inflammation in the body. The majority of processed foods contain levels of Omega 6s which are too high for healthy consumption. Examples include foods with corn, canola, cottonseed, soy, safflower, sunflower, and peanut oils - such as in many grain products, chips, crackers, pretzels, "food" bars, desserts, fried foods, and many other processed items. Omega 3s are found in hemp, walnut, and flax oils and cold water fatty fish - especially salmon. Plant sources do not contain the best type of Omega 3s for this purpose, so it is important to give young children and infants adequate amounts of fish oil as this type of Omega 3 is the best source in offering protection against the development of allergies and asthma.

Vaccinations are now being suspected as a cause of immune system failure. As most childhood diseases are viruses, they do not respond to antibiotics. This discovery lead to the development of vaccines. When a vaccine is injected directly into the bloodstream, it is granted access to all major tissues and organs without the benefit of the body's total immune response. What results is partial immunity, and then children are required to periodically receive "booster" shots. Because vaccines stimulate a humoral response, their ingredients are never released from the body. The opposite occurs when diseases are contracted naturally. Because these contents do not vacate the body, the body's reaction is one of chronic over-sensitization. Vaccinations have been linked to the increased incidence in asthma - in a study of 448 children, 243 received whooping cough vaccines. Ten percent developed asthma in comparison to the 2% of 205 children in a non-vaccinated group.

For more information on anti-bacterial substances and how they can adversely affect health, visit Food Processing.